“…A woman is more than the sum of her parts. Yet, at the same time, neither is she less…”

from “A Reconstruction of Gender”

By: Bethany Rozario Steinhagen

This February, the DIGNITY Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence published my article titled “A Reconstruction of Gender: Implications of Social Construct and Gender Structure Theories”. From start to end, the journey has lasted multiple years, and I am excited and thankful to see its success. I wrote this article to advance the goals of feminism as well as promote discussion in the field of women’s and gender studies.

In this article, I explore definitions in feminist scholarship of gender, sex, and gender identity in the context of social construct theory. I do so to untangle logical implications concerning gender as a social structure that were missed or misinterpreted among the decades old debate in feminism between essentialism and anti-essentialism.

In plainer terms, I wanted to contribute, in my own way, to the issues of gender and identity affecting many individuals in the US today, especially young women. Though ultimately, some of the conclusions I make are controversial, my intentions are sincere.

I’d like to highlight the key components of my article and what we can take away from it.

Key Conclusions

1. Gender, much like politics or the economy, is a social structure. A social structure is something derived from and sustained by human society, though nevertheless as powerful and integral to our lives as natural structures. Gender influences us materially and culturally on an individual and societal level. It is not natural but it is found wherever human communities are found.

2. Gender is distinct from sex. Though historically, the two concepts have been used interchangeably, we can no longer deny their distinction. Sex is the physical and biological reality of a creature. Gender is the relationship of individuals and society to sex and themselves.

3. Gender identity is not an inherent aspect or quality to a person. It is a part of gender, which is a social structure, confined to humans.

4. ‘Gender’ does not define whether a person is male, female, or otherwise. That is what the term ‘sex’ does. Gender answers the question ‘who am I,’ while sex answers the question ‘what am I.’

5. Actions, objects, colors, activities, clothing, or similar things are not inherently masculine or feminine. It is culture which assigns masculinity/femininity/neutrality to things, not the objects themselves.

6. We must preserve the right of female-only spaces and preferences. This includes the right for lesbians to choose natural-born women as partners and for women to restrict membership to female-only spaces. Not every person needs to be included in every type of group to be valid or deserving of rights and respect.

7. Transitioning one’s gender does not alter the reality of one’s sex. I suggest that, rather than resisting gender stereotypes, parts of the social reality of transitioning reinforces the very gender stereotypes feminists have been fighting so hard to reform.

8. We should refocus our efforts on challenging the mind before changing the body. I suggest this in order to make progress in feminist and gender studies for women, men, intersex individuals, transgender persons, and detransitioners alike.

It’s not easy to be involved in controversial subjects or areas that are so polarized such as gender is currently. It’s difficult to engage with those who are on the other side of the debate, and even harder for each side to sincerely consider the other side’s position. But, critical to forward progress is constructive conversation. And constructive conversation means engaging thoughtfully and deliberately with ideas different than our own, in order to arrive at a better, fuller understanding of the subject at hand. We must, at every turn, strive to admit the possibility we are wrong. This isn’t a fight or a war, but rather it is a life we live together and a world with shared benefits and sufferings.

Feminists of any background or ideology generally desire the same things—a society free from the constraints of gender norms, roles, and restrictions that place women on a lower rung of life’s ladder. We may disagree in how this is to be achieved and who is to be included, but when it comes down to it, working together will achieve our common goals faster and fuller than animosity will.

As a woman, a feminist, and a philosopher, I recognize the conclusions I make in my article may be incorrect. But as things stand now with the research I have completed, these key components are where my research has led. It is my hope that my paper will contribute to feminist dialogue in a constructive way, to bring us closer to discussing sensitive issues on similar grounds.

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